XIMPEL generally runs in different modern browsers, such as Firefox and Chrome, both on- and offline. XIMPEL has been tested on Firefox and Chrome. For best results on touch devices, we recommend using Google Chrome.
There is still one issue though. Due to a number of reasons, it is not always possible to run the presentation locally without a webserver. Browsers often have security restrictions that cause requests for files to be blocked when running from the local filesystem; even if the requests are also directed to the local file system.
Running XIMPEL
To view the XIMPEL application, you have several options:
- You can upload the contents of the ZIP file to your own online web server, and run it from there, or
- It is possible to run XIMPEL offline using a local webserver, or
- You can run XIMPEL offline by creating a shortcut to the Chrome browser that allows for local file access.
Below, we outline the steps needed to run the XIMPEL application for each option.
1. Running XIMPEL from a web server
To run XIMPEL from a web server, just unpack the contents of the XIMPEL ZIP file and upload them to your webspace using an FTP client. Open the URL where you placed the XIMPEL application with Chrome.
2. Using a local webserver
Second, it is possible to use a local webserver. This can be done most easily using an extension of Google Chrome, or alternatively by using a package such as XAMPP, which installs a full webserver on your local machine.
Web Server for Chrome extension (recommended)
First, open the Web Server for Chrome extension page in Google Chrome and choose add to Chrome. Then, open the extension (if it is not visible, enter chrome://apps in the address bar and click “Web Server”). After opening the extension, select choose folder. Navigate to the folder containing the unzipped XIMPEL files. Select it. Next, it is possible to click on the URL which has now appeared under Web Server URL(s). The XIMPEL application will open.
XAMPP
XAMPP installs a full web server and can be downloaded from here. When the server is activated, you can copy the contents of the XIMPEL ZIP file into a directory available to the server, and open the local URL in your web browser.
3. Setting up Chrome for local file access
The third option is to use a shortcut to Chrome, allowing for local file access (by starting it with a special parameter). This shortcut should only be used for development (not for opening normal websites), since it allows the browser to access local files. The steps for Windows and Mac are outlined below:
Windows
First, make sure that Chrome is installed on your computer (otherwise, download and install it). Next, open a text editor (e.g. Notepad), and paste the following lines:
start "chrome" %localappdata%\google\chrome\application\chrome --allow-file-access-from-files exit
Now save the file as start-chrome-local-file-access.bat.
Close all Chrome browser windows and double-click on the created file to start it. Open the index.html file which is located in the unzipped XIMPEL folder.
Mac
First, make sure Chrome is installed (or download and install it first). To use Chrome with local file access, first make sure all its windows are closed.
Now open the Terminal and paste the following line:
open /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app --args --allow-file-access-from-files
When the browser has opened, open the index.html file which is located in the unzipped XIMPEL folder.